Improvement in picture-frames



H. S. HALE.

Picture-Frames.

No, 138,884, PatentedMayI3J873.

FIG. 1,

UNITED STATES PATENT OE IcE.

HENRY S. HALE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENN YLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO HALE, KILBURN AND COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN PICTURE-FRAMES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 138,884, dated May 13, 1873; application filed November 14, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY S. HALE, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement in Frames for Pictures, &c., of which the following is a specification:

The object of my invention is to prevent the defacing of the gilt portions of the frames for pictures andv mirrors by the careless cleansing of the glasses. I attain this object by edging the gilt strip a of a frame with abead or rib, b, of material which will not be injuriously affected by moisture or friction, and will therefore serve as an effective guard to protect the gilding, as shown in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawing, which represents a perspective view of a portion of an oval frame, made of walnut or other wood, having the above-mentioned gilt strip a. The gilt edgin gs With which wooden picture-frames are furnished, and the inner edges of gilt frames, are very liable to be defaced in rubbing the glasses with wet cloths, which, by careless handling, remove portions of the gilding; hence the guard 12, which prevents the contact of the cloth with the gold surface. This guard may be of the same material as, and form a part of, the wooden frame, as shown in Fig.1, and may be polished and varnished in the same manner, so as to resist the effects of moisture. I prefer, however, to black-varnish the bead, so as to impart to it an ebony finish, as it is termed by picture-frame makers, this finish forming a pleasing contrast with the gold. In the present instance the gilt strip a is isolated between the inner ebony-finished bead b, and an interior ebony-finished head, 0, so that both glass and frame may be cleansed'without danger of defacing the gold. Many picture-frames are made to receive detachable gilt strips f, as shown in Fig. 2, which represents a section of straight molding. In such cases I form a protectin gguard, b, on the inner edge of the strip so as to protect the gold.

It will be understood that my invention is as applicable to gilt frames as to those made of wood with gilt edgings, and that the protecting-edges may be either raised, as shown, or sunk, and of any desired shape.

I claim as my invention- The combination in a frame or molding of a gilt surface and a projecting rib or guard 1), arranged at the inner or lower edge of the gilt portion, as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY S. HALE.

Witnesses:

WM. A. STEEL, HUBERT HoWsoN. 

